Le Chatelier's Principle states that when a system at dynamic chemical equilibrium is subjected to a stress—such as a change in concentration, temperature, or pressure—the equilibrium will shift in the direction that partially relieves that stress, establishing a new equilibrium. This principle belongs to the study of chemical equilibrium within physical chemistry, and it follows directly from the underlying kinetic model in which equilibrium is defined by equal forward and reverse reaction rates rather than equal concentrations. It is consistent with, and can be derived quantitatively from, the equilibrium constant expression, which remains invariant as concentrations readjust after a stress is applied.
Le Chatelier's Principle states that when a system at dynamic chemical equilibrium is subjected to a stress—such as a change in concentration, temperature, or pressure—the equilibrium will shift in t…